Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-04

Cardinal Gibbons, crOWned repre- |
sentative of the hated scarlet" ct cetera,
should not have been invited to offer the
closing prayer, and one very influential
sectaIian paper proposes devoting two
entire pages in reply to Mr.. hasson and
g different selection. The editor seems
to possess the ire OF the seventeenth
century. He writes: owe confess our
Protestant blood boils over this. MIR.
Kasson and the other Protestants who
were on the commission had no right to
sell out and humiliate this Protestant
city and this Protestant nation. II they
were hoodwinked or acted from ecclesi
astical ignorance they should confess
their error"
Another paper objects more mildly
and for different reason. Cardinal
Gibbons was sill right as was Wither-
spoon, but Bishop Potter Of the Episco-
pal church should have been fenced out
from the patriotic and religious feast. In
it's argument against the selection OF
ecclesiastics this paper says: "The COM
missions choice OF representative OF
American Professionalism on this occasion
was not an appropriate one in view OF
| the fact that the attitude Of the Episco-
palians in this country during the revo-
luton and the formation of the constitu-
| 81 nf
hostility. The historic appropriateness OF
selecting Mr.. Witherspoon was recog-
nized by the commission, and will no
dCabt receive universal approval; but
the same historic consideration rendered
the other choice Of the commission map
propriate. Furthermore, we deem it
altogether proper that the Catholic
church, as well as the Protestant, should
have been represented on the occasion,
and regard the head of that church in this
country its most fitting representative"
The outside barbarian, when he sees
the good people fighting for harmony,
and hating each other for the love
of God" will be disposed to
pause at the gates before enter
Ing. No one wants to enter q
place while there is fight in progress.
If those people who feel aggrieved over
such things, ard who are so jealous OF
each others worldly glory, would
lay aside their religion for
q time end resd few chapters
in the graceless and ungodly George
Eliot's Felix Holt .hey would see them
selves as in mirror, with their whimsical
absardities and mental deformities laid
bare. If they read carefully good will
come to them out of this Nazareth Of
wickedness which, while it may not be
the genuine article Of religion Itself, will
be happy improvement upon those
purely human idiosyncrsCies which some
times fssten themselves like barnacles to
the good snip of Zion. 1t is possible that
& wiser selection could have been made,
yet it is not improbable that the gravest
error committed was in making any
selection at all. The celebration was
not q religious festival, church and state
are separate. and this was state jubilee.
Homage was rendered at the shrine Of
liberty by the vocal prayers OF free speech
and the silent offerings of rejoicing
hearts. Prayers by clergymen, while be-
coming enough perhaps, could not fsil
to displease some and awaken those
ugly feelings which otherwise might
remain dormant for centuries. Peo-
pie who are wise, liberal, generous
and charitable In ell other things are unfor-
tunately, at times narrow intolerant and
blindly blgoted on religious topics, while
thousand of intelligent people who be-
lieve in no religion or religious exercise,
irreverently regard such performances as
they would jig. Of course We are
Christian people and all that, but there
are so many kinds of Christians that
mention of the subject in 8 mixed assem-
bly, is often provocation Of anything but
Christian graces. The honor of opening
and closing public feasts and celebrations
is a worldly honor and the churches
place no store in such distinctions. Per
haps by the next centennial celebration
people may be more tolerant and less
eager for worldly glory; if not the religi-
Gus features OF the celebration exercises
might probably be dispensed with and
relegated to the churches.
GAINESVILLE, TEX Oct. !, 1857.